Method and apparatus for manufacturing continuous form sets

A method for making continuous, linearly attached form sets including individual form sheets attached in overlying relationship to a continuous bottom form sheet at spaced intervals along the length of the bottom form sheet, the method comprising:

• supplying and advancing a continuous, elongated raw web material to a bottom form sheet processing station with intermittent unidirectional movement, the web material being advanced through said processing station by indexing and advancing means through suitable increments of length corresponding to the desired lengthwise dimension of an individual form set, and being at rest between each intermittent movement;
• processing said raw web material to form continuous, joined bottom form sheets, the processing operation being carried out synchronously with said raw web material advancing movement;
• advancing said bottom form sheets contemporaneously with said raw web material advancing movement from said processing station sequentially to and through a pair of form set assembly stations;
• supplying a single individual form set sheet periodically to the first of said pair of form set assembly stations and registered overlying pairs of individual form set sheets periodically to the second of said pair of form set assembly stations;
• assembling said single individual form set sheet in overlying relationship with said bottom form sheets at the first of said pair of assembly stations while said bottom sheet is at rest at the first assembly station;
• assembling said pairs of individual form set sheets in overlying relationship with said first individual form set sheet at the second of said pair of assembly stations while said bottom sheet is at rest at said second assembly station;
• and
• securing said individual form set sheets to each other and to said bottom sheet to form continuous form sets linearly secured to each other through said joined bottom form sheets.

Apparatus for making continuous, linearly attached form sets comprising edgewise joined bottom form sheets having overlying individual form sheets attached thereto, the apparatus comprising:

• means for supplying a continuous, elongated raw web material;
• means for advancing said web material with intermittent, unidirectional movement through suitable increments of length corresponding to a desired longitudinal dimension of an individual form set;
• means for processing continuously edgewise joined bottom form sheets from said advanced web material synchronously with said web advancement motion;
• at least a first form set assembly station, and means for advancing each of said joined bottom sheets from said bottom sheet processing means sequentially to said first assembly station synchronously with the said processing of said bottom sheets;
• means for processing and periodically supplying at least first individual form sheets to said first assembly station, said assembly station including means for aligning an individual first form sheet with each of said bottom sheets in overlying registration, with each first individual form sheet being joined to its respective bottom sheet at said assembly station in registered, overlying relationship while said bottom sheet is at rest between advancing motions;
• each joined individual sheet and bottom sheet comprising at least a portion of a form set;
• at least one additional form set assembly station;
• means for advancing said form set portions from said first assembly station to said additional assembly station synchronously with said advancing motion of said bottom sheets;
• means for processing and periodically supplying successive individual form sheets to said additional assembly station, said additional assembly station including means for aligning each of said second successive form sheets with a first individual form sheet in overlying relationship on a bottom sheet, each of said successive form sheets being joined to a first individual form sheet in said additional assembly station while its respective underlying bottom sheet and first form sheet are at rest between advancing motions;
• and
• means for advancing said assembled form set portions from said second assembly station synchronously with the said advancing motion of said bottom sheets.

Apparatus for making continuous, linearly attached form sets comprising edgewise joined bottom form sheets having overlying individual form sheets attached thereto, the apparatus comprising:

• means for supplying a continuous, elongated raw web material;
• means for advancing said web material with intermittent, unidirectional movement through suitable increments of length corresponding to a desired longitudinal dimension of an individual form set;
• means for processing continuously edgewise joined bottom form sheets from said advanced web material synchronously with said web advancement motion;
• at least a first form set assembly station and means for advancing each of said joined bottom sheets from said bottom sheet processing means sequentially to said first assembly station synchronously with the said processing of said bottom sheets;
• means for processing and periodically supplying first groups of individual form sheets to said first assembly station in synchronism with said bottom sheet advancing motion, said assembly station including means for aligning said individual form sheets in said first groups with each other and with one of said bottom sheets, all in overlying relationship with respect to each other;
• the individual form sheets in each group being secured to each other and each group of individual form sheets being secured to a respective bottom sheet in overlying relationship while said bottom sheet is at rest between advancing motions to make at least a first assembled form set portion;
• at least one additional form set assembly station;
• means for advancing said first assembled form set portions from said first assembly station to each additional assembly station synchronously with said advancing motion of said bottom sheets;
• means for processing and periodically supplying successive groups of individual form sheets to each additional assembly station synchronously with the advancement of first assembled form set portion;
• means for aligning the individual form sheets in each of said successive groups with each other and with a previously assembled form set portion in overlying relationship, each successive group of individual form sheets being joined to an underlying group of form sheets at each individual form set assembly station;
• and
• means for advancing said bottom sheet and joined individual form sheets from said additional assembly station synchronously with the said advancing motion of said bottom sheets.

A process for making continuous linearly attached form sets including individual form sheets attached in overlying relationship to a continuous bottom form sheet at spaced intervals along the length of the bottom form sheet, the process comprising:

• supplying and advancing a continuous, elongated, raw web material through a bottom form sheet processing station with intermittent unidirectional movement, the web material being advanced through said processing station by indexing and advancing means through suitable increments of length corresponding to the desired lengthwise dimension of an individual form set, and being at rest between each intermittent movement;
• processing said raw web material to form continuous, joined bottom form sheets, the processing operation being carried out synchronously with said raw web material advancing movement;
• advancing said bottom sheets synchronously with said raw web material advancing movement from said processing station to and through at least a first form set assembly station;
• supplying first individual form sheets periodically to said first form set assembly station and securing said individual first form sheets to said bottom sheets in overlying relationship at said assembly station;
• sequentially advancing said bottom form sheets through at least a second form set assembly station;
• periodically supplying individual succeeding form sheets to said second form set assembly station;
• assemblying at least one succeeding individual form sheet in overlying relationship with said first individual form sheet at said second assembly station, including joining said succeeding individual form sheet to said first individual form sheet;
• each form set assembly operation being carried out while said bottom sheet is at rest;
• whereby said individual form sheets are joined to said bottom form sheets as said bottom sheets are intermittently advanced through said assembly stations, the combination of individual overlying form sheets and an underlying bottom form sheet forming at least a portion of an individual form set, each individual form set being linearly attached to an adjacent form set through said joined bottom form sheets.